Friday, July 28, 2017

TRACK NINE: "I'll Cry Instead" VS. "Girl"

"Anytime At All"- 20
"What Goes On"- 0

Well, that was easy.

It is rumored that Carl Perkins plays that "boogie riff" that carries "I'll Cry Instead," the shortest song on "A Hard Day's Night." I never minded this track. I love Lennon's vocal. But, "Girl"is my favorite track on "Rubber Soul" and one of my favorite Beatle tracks period.

‘Girl’, for sure. We’ve all known that girl, haven’t we? She’s the same one Bernie Taupin knew when he wrote, “There are women, women/And some hold you tight/While some leave you counting/Stars in the night”. I wonder about the last verse though: it’s a great verse—that a man must break his back to earn his day of leisure--but I’m always wondering if it actually fits; I don’t understand what we’re supposed to learn about her from it. Great song, nonetheless.

Both are quintessential Lennon songs. No one else could have written these.

I choose "Girl" because it's so original with its ethnic folk sound and semi-cryptic lyric. But "I'll Cry Instead" is a close match -- this speedy minute-and-a-half outburst of anger could be considered proto-Ramones.

I'm not one of those people who views the Beatles' career as a steady upward progression, with each record better than the last. I like Please Please Me as much as anything on Abbey Road, and I love I'll Cry Instead. But Girl, along with In My Life and Norwegian Wood, really raised the bar (pardon the cliche). This was rock music for adults. So my vote is for Girl.

As Rob says, both songs are pretty similar thematically. A girl has done him wrong! Intellectually, I should prefer "I'll Cry Instead," which is classic John in that he's saying one thing but really revealing another both musically and lyrically. I'll get my revenge by breaking a lot of hearts!" he says to a jaunty tune of defiance -- uh-huh, meanwhile you're devastated, lad. "Girl" on the other hand is more straightforward both lyrically and musically. That girl has done him wrong and he knows it. But the intake of breath on the word "girl" is so awesomely memorable and distinctive and the whole song so clever in small ways that it ends up being more interesting.

Well, I had to go find "I'll Cry Instead." I found one with no harmonies...can't recall if the LP has them? Anyway, "I'm gonna break their hearts all round the world" was the convincer. I vote for GIRL.

I remember growing up, my sister thought Lennon's intake-of-breath on Girl was a design flaw. "You can hear him breathe!" All the same, I'll go for "Girl." Those harmonies...and the "dit-dit-dit" part! I love it.

"I'll Cry Instead" is kind of throw-away-ish. Of course, their throwaways are better than most bands A-material. But I think the bridge, in particular, is kind of weak. It suffers from the age-old conundrum, what do you rhyme with the word "girl"?

Why, "world" is the general answer for the Lads, and other songwriters down through the ages - as in "all around the" or "telling all the." Or simply rhyming it again with girl ("Please Pleases Me.") But there have been those who pushed the envelope.

Joey Spampanato found himself in this situation a few times and tended toward "whirl," as in, "puts my head in a" or "let's give it a". He scored big with "she's a gen-u-wine pearl" as well. Whereas ex-teammate Terry Adams stuck with a variation on the old standby on his "Want You To Feel Good Too": "you and me, let's take a trip around the world." Advantage, Spampy.

Dead Milkmen get major props for going with "we'll dress like Minnie Pearl." Milton Berle also would have worked in this case, but I think they made the right call. On such a winter's day.

Neil Young went with "flags unfurl" on "Long Walk Home" which works because it fits the subject matter (i.e., not a love song.)

I'm sure there's more, but to quote the Central Scrutinizer, ultimately who gives a fuck anyway.

Kudos for the Dead Milkmen reference, though I think the Milton Berle choice might've worked since I'm picturing Berle dressed in drag, looking like Pearl. My all-time favorite rhyme is Eyes with Proselytized in I Can't Quit Her by Al Kooper. But I digress....

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